No One Else Can Be You

Many times we look at others and wish we were more like them.  We say stuff like, “I wish I was as small as Maryjo” or “I wish I was as muscular as Arnold” or “I wish I was as good a homemaker as Jenny-Mae”, or “I wish I had Tom’s job”.  I know sometimes I wish I was more outgoing, someone who made friends more easily. We are all guilty of this, and I was thinking today that we really ought to be satisfied with just who we are.

It is such a wonderful thing that we were all created as unique human beings. What a boring world it would be if we all were alike!  Just think of the different personalities within your own family, how exciting it makes your family life.  I know sometimes the different personalities make for way too much excitement than we would like, but our uniqueness is something that we should all be proud of.  I am not saying that we cannot aspire to be a certain size, or to be a better person, but I truly believe that we have to be contented with who we are first, so that we can make the necessary changes and be at peace.

No one else can be you.  No one else has gone through the exact things that you have gone through in life.  Our experiences are all different, and we each have our own distinct stories to tell that could help others.  Do not ever think that someone else is better than you – their experiences have just been different, but you both have stories to tell.  Each one of us has a purpose here on earth, and being unique is a big part of fulfilling that purpose.  Let us give thanks that we are all unique and wonderfully made.  There is no one else like you, and there is no one else like me.  Isn’t this awesome?

Seasons

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have become a firm believer in seasons.  By that I mean that I fully believe that there is indeed a time for everything.  Many of us have dreams, plans, and other desires for ourselves and for our family.  These dreams may have just entered our hearts, or they may have been in our hearts for two years, or twenty years.  It doesn’t matter.  They are our dreams, they are our plans, they are our desires and we would like to see them come to pass.

The problem is that there will always be obstacles and difficulties on the way to realizing our heart’s desires.  We cannot get away from them as they are so much a part of life.  We must have determination and patience, and we must believe that when the time is right, when our season has come, our desires will be fulfilled.  Many times, we try to do things when the timing isn’t right, we lack patience and are unwilling to wait.  Most times chaos is the result of our impatience.  I have learned that nothing causes more chaos in my life than doing things out of timing, or out of season.  We have to believe in our dreams, we have to work hard to achieve them, but we must also exercise some patience and know that things will work out in due season.

You may be going through some difficult times right now and are tempted to give up.  Please don’t give up and have faith – for in due time, when your season has come, you will achieve the desires of your heart.

A Lil Humour

Leroy!

A woman walks into the downtown welfare office, trailed by 15 kids WOW,” the social worker exclaims. “Are they ALL YOURS???”

Yep they are all mine,” the flustered momma sighs, having heard that question a thousand times before. She says, “Sit down Leroy.”  All the children rush to find seats.

“Well,” says the social worker, “then you must be here to sign up. I’ll need all your children’s names.”

“This one’s my oldest – he is Leroy.”

“OK, and who’s next?”

“Well, this one he is Leroy, also.”

The social worker raises an eyebrow but continues. One by one, through the oldest four, all boys, all named Leroy. Then she is introduced to the eldest girl, named Leighroy!

“All right,” says the caseworker. “I’m seeing a pattern here. Are they ALL named Leroy?”

Their Momma replied, “Well, yes – it makes it easier. When it is time to get them out of bed and ready for school, I yell, ‘Leroy!’ An’ when it’s time for dinner, I just yell ‘Leroy!’ an’ they all comes a-runnin’. An’ if I need to stop the kid who’s running into the street, I just yell ‘Leroy’ and all of them stop. It’s the smartest idea I ever had, namin’ them all Leroy.”

The social worker thinks this over for a bit, then wrinkles her forehead and asks tentatively, “But what if you just want ONE kid to come, and not the whole bunch?”

“Then, I call them by their last names.”

Man’s Search for Meaning

It seems that for as long as man has existed, he has wondered about the world around him.  But the biggest question of the ages seems to have been boiled down to one of purpose.  What is my purpose?  Why am I here?  There has to be more to life than this.  It is a concept and question that seemingly everyone ponders to some degree.  And even if we haven’t thought of it in those specific terms, we’ve all dreamt of a bigger, better, more fulfilling life, suggesting that we innately know there is something more for us.  

In our youth we are full of adventure, and risk is nothing more than falling down a few times before figuring out how to balance the bike.  Dreams flow freely through our heads and we are convinced that we can achieve them.  

As we age and actually become more capable of achieving our dreams, we embrace the insidious belief of the masses: with age comes a responsibility to “grow up”, and “growing up” means eliminating the risk that is married to adventure.

Without adventure, life becomes dull, and without risk, valuable experiential lessons are lost.  Trial and error, mistakes, and new tactics are what provide us the opportunity to revaluate our desires and to modify our values.  Risk encourages creativity and growth, but security encourages apathy and complacency.   Risk is always present, like the mountains climbing to the sky, but security is never guaranteed and often slips away like a waft of smoke.   And yet, as backwards as it may seem, we’ve thrown away our dreams for the promise of something we can never truly have, and avoided the only thing that can give us everything we want.

What are you here for?  Is to sit docilely by, coughing and choking in a cloud of smoke, or is it to plot a course through the unknown to the mountain tops?

In Loving memory

It’s been Seven years since my sister passed away and there hasn’t been a day I didn’t think about her. I miss her so much. I miss her grace, her smile and her gentle way of letting me know that everything will be ok.
I have tried to pretend that life would be normal without her but it has been nothing but normal. She was a wonderful person and a great mentor for me and for everyone who knew her. She was the source of my strength and my guiding light and with out her my life has been a solo journey in the dark.
She was my sister, my friend and my life who always tried to guide me in the right path of my life and I owe it to her everything that I am and everything that I will be.
She was a kind, generous, sweet and gentle Person who would have moved the world for me if I’d asked.
It is days like this that I can only hope that there is an afterlife because she deserves something special that is for sure.

In Loving memory.

Askale

Once, not so long ago, when my world was younger and full of hope, I had a sister, Askale. Askale was beautiful, caring with a big heart, very smart and had a keen and incisive mind. She was witty but never hurtful and often knew what you were thinking even before you knew yourself. She always seemed to see the world more clearly then everyone else. My parents have called her levelheaded but she was more than that. Somehow she could see the bad in people but still have faith in them. She was a gentle soul who was so centered and happy.

She knew how to see the poetry in the everyday.

Sadly she was taken away from me so soon. I will always miss her and I am always grateful to have known her let alone be her brother.
Missing you everyday

MY Sister

“I hope only that she knows now that I genuinely loved her very dearly, so far as human frailty permits.  God bless, protect, and keep her among his own.

I hope to see her again; but perhaps that is a weak hope”

Famous last words

 

“You will miss 100% of the shots you never take”

 

Wayne Gretzky

Ask Another Doctor

The doctor and his wife were having a heated argument at breakfast. As he stormed out of the house, the man angrily yelled to his wife, “You aren’t that good in bed either!”

By midmorning, he decided he’d better make amends and called home.

After many rings, his wife, clearly out of breath, answered the phone.

“What took you so long to answer and why are you panting?”

“I was in bed.”

“What in the world are you doing in bed at this hour?”

“Getting a second opinion”

A Visit to the Merchant of Pain

I made my way to office of the merchant of pain this morning. The merchant of pain, more commonly known as the dentist, is just a short bus ride away. I arrived at his office and was presented with a 12 page questionnaire to fill out. This included such questions as:

“How do I feel about my teeth?” (Badly, we have been quarreling!)

“Do you enjoy visiting the dentist?” (Yes, pain is my constant friend!)

“Have you ever had a bad experience at the dentist” (Do dogs bark?)

After 40 minutes or so, I had completed these fine forms and was escorted into the pain pit. I had never been to this particular dentist before, but I knew that there might be trouble when the previous patient left the office all red faced and weeping. I resolved to be manly and sat in the torture chair. The dentist started with some disquieting words,

“This will only take a few seconds we won’t really need to use Novocaine?”

Hmmm. Well only if I can cut your finger off with no anesthetic. After all that would only take a moment as well. Having sorted out the question of pain killer (we agreed that I needed some or he would be dying today) we got down to the meat and potatoes of the day: the destruction of my teeth. After much grunting, drilling, blood spilling and white hot pain, the pain master had finally finished and I was left alone with an angelic dental assistant, Amber. Amber thoughtfully held my hand, held up a mirror so I could wipe the blood from my face, and said,

“There, that wasn’t too bad. I am sure the next time will be extra special for you?!?”
Obviously I am going to have to find a new dentist who will sedate me, although I now wonder what the hell could be “extra special” about a return trip to the pain palace?